Lion Attacks in Gujarat Leave Two Injured; Forest Department Launches Search

At least two people were injured in separate lion attacks in Gujarat's Bhavnagar and Amreli districts over a 24-hour period, the state forest department confirmed. Both victims are undergoing treatment in hospitals.

In the first incident, a sub-adult lion attacked a man in Garajiya village, Palitana tehsil, Bhavnagar district, around 9 am on Monday. The victim, identified as Kalubhai Parmar, a local resident, was injured while trying to protect his livestock from the lion. A video of the incident, which shows the lion sitting on top of Parmar as villagers raise an alarm, surfaced on social media.

According to the forest department, the lion had earlier killed a buffalo in nearby Sonpari village. It then moved into the revenue hill area of Garajiya village, which is part of a permanent movement corridor for lions. Despite instructions from a forest department tracker, some villagers allegedly harassed the lion, chasing it and attempting to confine it. Parmar was injured when the lion attacked him as he defended his livestock. The lion subsequently fled into the hill area.

Forest officials arrived and shifted Parmar first to Palitana Government Hospital and later to Bhavnagar Government Hospital for treatment. The forest department statement noted that Parmar's calm behaviour—stroking the lion's neck and remaining still—likely prevented more severe injuries, citing the Maldhari community's experience in coexisting with Asiatic lions. Parmar later told media that the lion held him for nearly half an hour.

In the second incident, in Thhavi village, Savarkundla tehsil, Amreli district, a man named Raju Vaghela was attacked by a lion while sleeping in his hut around 10:45 pm on Sunday. He sustained serious leg injuries. Local residents raised an alarm, and the lion fled toward the jungle. Vaghela was taken to Savarkundla Government Hospital for treatment.

The forest department has intensified tracking and night patrolling in both areas. Officials have appealed to the public not to harass wild animals and to contact the forest department immediately if a lion is sighted, rather than trying to drive it away themselves.

The Saurashtra region of Gujarat is the only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion, and recent months have seen an increase in lion-human encounters. The two latest incidents bring the number of such attacks in the region higher this year.